Have you ever tried this method of dyeing eggs? Onion skins are wrapped around eggs and hard boiled. Once unwrapped, marbled eggs appear with beautiful variations of color.
It’s so simple, easy, and pretty too! What I love about some of these natural dyes is the subtle color, instead of the fake brightness of the dye kits. (See how to produce DIY homemade dyes too).
You Need:
- White Eggs
- Onion skins (try to keep them as big as possible when unpeeling)
- Rubber bands or kitchen twine
- Thin cloth, such as cheesecloth (cloth napkins or cheesecloth are probably your best bet)
- Pot with lid to boil eggs
Directions:
1) Wrap each egg in the onion skins.
Place in the cloth or cheesecloth and wrap it in the towel, securing it with a rubberband or twine.
2) Place in a pot and cover with cool water. Bring to a boil. Turn off heat and cover. Allow the eggs to sit in the hot water for 15 minutes. Then pour off the hot water and cool with running cold water. Unwrap your eggs and admire the pattern. Serve warm or refrigerate.
What about you? Have you naturally dyed eggs before? I would love to hear about your experience!
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I admired the cool looking results of that method but I have to ask – do the eggs taste like onion?
Not at all! 🙂
I should have also mentioned that some people put in herbs, grasses, bits or rice and other edible items inside the onion skins on the eggs to create more texture. This would be really pretty. To make it work, you should probably wet all of the ingredients, so that it sticks on the eggs better.
Nice job! Those are really pretty!
Awesome! I have some questions:
1. Does using red onion skins make a difference in the color? I only have reds right now, but I’d be super excited to see if it comes out red/purple/pink-ish!
2. Will it dye brown eggs or deepen the color? Or will it just not show up well at all? I might need to buy some white eggs.
3. Does it stain the cloth? Will it wash out?
4. If you put rubber bands around the egg itself before wrapping it in the onion skin will it not take color where the rubber band is? I’m thinking about a tie-dye stripe look …
Thanks so much! I can’t wait to try this!
Amanda, I used red onion skins and the color was very pale blue/purple which was very pretty but only on white eggs. You can use the orange onion skins to deepen brown eggs but I doubt you’d get much of a pattern. I often put onion skins into the cooking water for hard boiled eggs just for the beautiful deep, deep, orange color, even though I’ll soon crack them for devilled eggs.
I dyed easter eggs naturally last year using tumeric, blueberries, red/purple cabbage, etc. They came out gorgeous!! But, since I am in the throws of morning sickness this Easter – I’m going for an all-natural dye kit. I’ll keep you posted.
http://sacredbee.wordpress.com/2010/04/03/natural-easter-egg-dyeing/
Lovely affect! I wonder if you could use beets to also dye eggs a pinky-red color?
BROWN EGGS and GREEN EGGS are awesome to dye with! The depth of the color is so beautiful. 🙂
Kimi, your eggs are lovely! I want to try this for sure. The past two years we have been using onion skins to dye our Easter eggs red, using this method: http://greekfood.about.com/od/greekcookingtips/ht/redeggs.htm
They come out looking just like the picture.
Those look beautiful!!! Thanks for sharing!
Lovely! Some years back I colored some eggs with natural things loose in the boiling water –onion skins, beets, grape juice — but I didn’t know about wrapping them close in cheesecloth like you describe. I wish I had! They’re beautiful.
Happy Easter!
Did you use hard boiled eggs to start with or did you use raw eggs that hard boiled in the process?
Hi Kimi I read your two Easter posts with great interest, the eggs look amazing and I think I might buy one of those special pans!!
I did want to ask though, if you were to try making soaked hot cross buns, what would you soak the flour in? Do you think it’s possible?
I also have Annabell’s question. Hot cross buns are our Good Friday tradition, but I’ve never tried a soaked version.
The egg dyeing looks lovely, I will surely try it.
My mother used to dye eggs like this when we were little…she used rubber bands to hold the onion skins on which made really interesting curvy patterns on the eggs. I’m going to try this this year – thanks for the reminder!
I now this isn’t as natural as onion skins and such, but as far as non-toxic, we make the most beautiful colored eggs with grated crayons, any colors. Easy for the little ones, dramatic results for the big ones. 🙂 I like to do a few to quench my creative spirit. My 3 year old is really into it this year.
Of course, you have to do it when the eggs are still hot from boiling, so be sure to handle with tongs or towel. Hold in the towel for them to scribble with actual crayons, put on a holder (we use mineral water lids) for sprinkling with grated crayon. It’s not an issue with them getting burned, so don’t worry.
It’s a nice activity to stretch over a few days too. Six at a time, depending on your little one’s attention span.
I think that is fabulous! What a great idea!
Here is the link to Martha Stewart’s natural ‘egg dying’ that we have used for many years. So fun to do.
http://www.marthastewart.com/article/natural-egg-dye
Wow! I am so impressed with the beautiful natural-color materials for Easter egg dying!!!
All these years when my children and I thought we needed special dyes for Easter eggs, and I really had all I needed on hand already. Just sorry I have to wait until next Easter to try this. Having no children around now, I used food coloring and instructions on the box to make colored eggs for a centerpiece. They were the pretty bright rainbow colors (and yes, I had to keep them in the fridge each night.) My granddaughter has enlightened me on several great and healthier ideas now, and I am loving it! Really, Dear, you are a wonderful mom. Nannie
Afte creating these beautiful natural-looking onion skin dyed eggs, I buy/make/find a vine and fashion it into a nest shape, place it in a basket with some moss and put the eggs inside for a natural looking centerpiece for the Easter table. It definitely brings Spring a bit closer!